The Ring
by live2rite
Summary: Jacks looking at a ring that he bought for Sam years ago and contemplating their relationship. Shippyness ensues.


A/N. Ok yeah so I thought my muses would leave me alone until my exams were over but there we go. This is another little one shot that came to me on the bus back from my exam the other day. Enjoy!

The Ring

Jack sighed as he stared at the ring in the small box in front of him. He had bought this almost 5 years ago now just after the whole NID and him retiring fiasco. Whoa where the hell had the word 'fiasco' come from? Ah well never mind, he gave his head a quick shake and returned his focus to the ring.

At the time he had had a moment of complete clarity over his feelings for Sam and he realised that he really had been in love with her since the moment he laid eyes on her. At the time he had remembered the way she had defended herself to him, Kawalsky and Ferreti. When she had stood in front of the engaged wormhole for the first time marvelling at the sight before he pushed her through. The time she wore the bright blue dress because women were not allowed to wear mens clothing and the first time she had kissed him. Oh god that memory still made regular appearances in his dreams, of course it didn't end with him taking her to old doc Fraser to restrain to that's a whole other story. Of course the main thing that had hit him at the time was the whole Edora incident. He had felt like such an ass hole after he had found out that she had driven herself into the ground trying to find him a way home and what had he done … like the idiot he was he had just walked away from her to go and speak to Laira.

"That was smooth Jack" he mumbled sarcastically to himself.

Then of course there had been the NID 'fiasco' (where have I heard that word, Jack thought to himself). He had then gone and upset her more by telling her she didn't know the real him! Yeah ok he had been under orders to distance himself from the whole team and Sam understood that more than Daniel and Teal'c had done. Of course T had understood once the whole thing had been explained to him but Danny boy had still harped on about being a team and how they all should have been told. Like he had actually wanted to upset them all like that. But then he had his epiphany and realised that it had been Sam that he hadn't wanted to upset more than anyone. During the few days of leave he had afterwards he had gone to the local mall and had paid to have a ring especially designed and made. He decided that the moment he was legally able to ask the question he would do. The ring had been everywhere with him since that day. If they were going off world for any extended periods of time it would go with him too and sit in his BDU pocket all day where his hand could keep contact with it.

He sighed as he placed it on his small finger and twirled it round and round. There had been so many moments where he had almost thought enough is enough, I'm asking her. Like when they had been caught by Hathor and he had been told she was dead, the first thing he thought was, I'll never be able to ask her and tell her what she means to me. Of course then he had found her and discovered what was going on and he had very nearly asked her then but had chickened out. Of course there was the Za'tarc incident as well. He still couldn't believe he had been forced to semi reveal how he felt about her all because some stupid Tok'ra lie detector had been too damn sensitive. What did he do with the information that she felt the same? Oh yeah he had taken the first out she offered even whilst the ring was in his pocket!

Of course there had been the one time he had actually asked her. He smiled at the memory. Whilst he and Teal'c had been looping he had actually used one of them by resigning during the briefing in the morning just as Sam had started with the "Two weeks ago …". He had thrown General Hammond the letter and simply walked over to her and admitted his undying love, brought out the ring and asked her to marry him. She had actually said yes and they had spent one very happy loop like that. Teal'c had never mentioned it to him but every time Jack held her a little longer than necessary Teal'c would raise that damn eyebrow and do what would be classified as a smirk to Jaffa kind.

Then she had started dating that prick Pete. There were so many times he wanted to tell her she was making a mistake by dating him and then she actually asked him for his opinion of her getting married to him. The ring had been horrible and nothing like Sam but even as he put the Pete's ring down and put his hand into his pocket to wrap his fingers around the ring that he had hoped she would one day wear he had felt his heart break. Then Kerry came into his life. She was a nice enough person but even she saw that he was still hung up on Sam and she quit before she could get any more hurt (not that he could blame her, it was actually quite smart of her) but she had told him that he needed to go after what he really wanted. So now here he was at his cabin with Sam, Daniel and Teal'c.

It was late and he had been unable to sleep so he had come out onto the deck to chill for a while to see if that would help. He was so engrossed in twirling the ring that he did not hear the gentle footsteps approaching.

"Sir, is that an engagement ring?" Sam asked behind him. Jack jumped so high that he nearly lost his grip on the ring. He was absolutely gob smacked. What the hell was he supposed to say to that?

"Err, well … yes Sam it is" he hoped that she would leave it at that but of course that would be asking for a small miracle now wouldn't it?

"Ok, so are you gonna tell me what she said?" Sam asked sounding rather up tight.

"Who?" Jack asked confused.

"Kerry, Sir, that is who you have asked, yea?"

"NO, god no!" Jack shuddered, even the idea of him marrying anyone but Sam made him want to puke. "No we broke up, I'm actually kinda glad, anyway I've had this ring for a few years now … look Sam its not important, what are you doing up?"

"Can I have a look sir?" Sam asked, ignoring his question. Ok now he had a dilemma, should he let her see it or not. He decided there wasn't really any harm in her at least looking at the ring.

"Ok, here ya go" he passed the ring to her and she gasped.

"Wow, this is amazing, whoever she is, she's a very lucky woman, Jack, this is exactly the kinda ring I would want myself" she looks up at Jack and smiles before handing him back the ring.

Jack motioned Sam to sit down next to him on the deck and they sit in silence for a good twenty minutes. Jack was thinking about everything between him and Sam and everything that kept them apart. He suddenly realised that there wasn't anything holding them back any more all the reasons that they had continually referred to when they were trying to avoid getting to close no longer applied, he no longer wanted to get up every morning to go to work as he no longer felt that he was actually making a difference. He still loved the SGC and he knew that in some way he had to stay affiliated with them in some kind of advisory capacity but he didn't feel that thrill any more as he was no longer going out in to the field.

"Sam, I'm gonna retire, when we get back to the SGC, that's it, I'm through" Sam looked up suddenly and he could see her objections starting to come to the surface.

"Sir, no …"

"Sam, please its Jack now and I really need to ask you something, something that I've actually wanted to ask for … well … I … you see…" he trailed off. He looked at Sam and then back down to the ring. "Aw hell screw it, Sam I love you, will you marry me?" he looked her dead in the eye.

She looked shocked for no more an two seconds.

"You're definitely gonna retire yeah?" Jack nodded and Sam grinned, "Yes! Jack I love you too, of course I'll marry you"

Jack placed 'the ring' on her ring finger and pulled her to him in their first kiss. The last thing he thought before they went back into the cabin was about how long he had waited to ask that question and now he finally had the answer he couldn't be happier.

The End

A/N. Ok so that's that done, hopefully I should have the next chapter of 'I can't believe this' up by either next weekend or maybe not as that's my birthday but definitely by the 13th. Anyways please review, I love reading them, thanx guys luv Nicki.


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